Game ball component and game ball made therefrom

ABSTRACT

A game ball component for having an overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material of a first predetermined color injection molded over a predetermined portion thereof, including a core structure of a predetermined injection moldable plastic material of a second predetermined color, the core structure having an outer surface, a pair of diametrically opposed segments having the configuration of polar segments of a solid sphere formed integrally with core structure, and each of the segments having at least one cavity formed therein in the configuration of predetermined indicia, a plurality of outwardly extending ribs formed integrally with the core structure along a predetermined portion of the outer surface of the core structure, the ribs for being engaged by the overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material and for fusing with the overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material to structurally unite the game ball component with the overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material, and the core structure having a pair of passageways formed therein with each of the passageways communicating the outer surface of the core structure having the ribs formed thereon with the at least one cavity formed in one of the segments and the passageways for providing a flow path for the overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material to flow from the outer surface of the core structure into the cavities to fill the same; and a game ball made from such game ball component and the overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material.

United States Patent 1191 Gentile [451 July 16,1974

[ 1 GAME BALL COMPONENT AND GAME BALL MADE THEREFRQM [75] Inventor: Charles J. Gentile, North Caldwell,

[73] Assignee: 0range l roduct s, inc, Chathain,

22 Filed: Oct. 1, 1973 1 '7 21 Appl. No.: 402,048

52 us. Cl. 273/59 R, 40/327 [51] Int. Cl A63b 37/00 [58] Field of Search 273/59, 63, 58, 218;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 507,880 10/1393 Burt 40/327 1,156,144 10/1915 Hyatt 273/59 R 3,046,013 7/1962 Kutik 273/59 R 3,439,917 4/1969 Gentile 273/59 R Primary ExaminerGeorge J. Marlo [5 7] ABSTRACT A game ball component for having an overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material of a first predetermined color injection molded over a predetermined portion thereof, including a core structure of a predetermined injection moldable plastic material of a second predetermined color, the core structure having an outer surface, a pair of diametrically opposed segments having the configuration of polar segments of a solid sphere formed integrally with core structure, and each of the'segments having at least one cavity formed thereinin the configuration of predetermined indicia, a plurality of outwardly extending ribs formed integrally with the core structure along a predetermined portion of the outer surface of the core structure, the ribs for being engaged by the overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material and for fusing with the overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material to structurally unite the game ball component with the overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material, and the core structure'having a pair of passageways formed therein with each of the passageways communicating the outer surface of the core structure having the ribs formed thereon with the at least one cavity formed in one of the segments and the passageways for providing a flow path for the overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material to flow from the outer surface of the core structure into the cavities to fill the same; and a game ball made from such game ball component and the overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures GAME BALL COMPONENT AND GAME BALL MADE THEREFROM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION be made from a suitable injection moldable plastic material and may include a core structure of an injection moldable plastic material of a first color over which is injection molded an overlay material of injection moldable plastic of a second or contrasting color. In such prior art, although the actual or absolute mass of the overlay material with respect to the mass of the corestructure was relatively small, the comparative mass of the overlay material was still relatively large, so com- 'paratively large in fact that the prior art core structure did not act as a heat sink to cool the heated injection molded overlay material and a relatively high injection pressure was required to injection mold the overlay material around the core structure. Such relatively high injection pressure is known to stress and crack the core structure. Further, the relatively large mass of the injection molded overlay material suffered from a lack of uniformity of color due to the longer cooling required to cool the relatively larger mass of overlay material, and still further, since the cooling of the overlay material required a relatively long period of time, the overlay material remained at a higher temperature longer than desired thereby causing an undesirable unevenness or lack of uniformity of color of the overlay material upon its being cooled.

Additionally, the relatively large mass of injection molded overlay material, due to its large mass, is known to include unwanted voids.

Further, since the overlay material is of a comparatively large mass as compared to the larger core structure, an undesirably long period of timeis required to injection mold and cool the overlay material, and hence an undesirably low productrate is attendant thereto.

Still further, and with specific regard to the striped billiard or pool balls, the core structure included the equitorial band on which the number of the ball was provided, and upon the overlay material providing the contrasting color being injection molded thereabout and cooling, the overlay material would tend to shrink away from the equitorial stripeand tended to cause cracks or voids in the end product game ball.

Accordingly, there exists a need in the game ball art, and in the game ball component art, of a game ball wherein the. core structure is relatively large as compared to the end product game ball, and conversely, wherein the injection molded overlay material is of a mass relatively small as compared to the mass of 'the core structure and the end product game ball whereby the overlay material will be comparatively thin thereby providing a more uniform color and whereby the overlay material will be ofa relatively small mass which may be rapidly cooled thereby causing the overlay materials to be at a higher temperature for a shorter length of time thereby promoting more even or uniform color in the overlay material upon being cooled. Further, there along the lines 2-2 in FIG. 1

exists a need to increase the production rate of game balls whereby less time is required to perform the injection molding and cooling of the overlay material.

Still further, there exists a need with regard to such game balls of providing structure on the core structure with which the overlay material may be fused so as to better structurally unite the overlay material and the core structure.

Still further, there exists a need for a game ball component wherein the core structure for striped billiard or pool balls is configured such that the cooling and shrinking of the overlay material causes the overlay material to be shrunk toward the stripe.

SUMMARY The game ball component of the present invention is configured so as to be relatively large in mass with respect tothe mass of the end product game ball and the game ball component will provide a heat sink for the injection molded overlay material which will be of a relatively small mass with respect to the mass of the end product game ball whereby the overlay material will be rapidly cooled from the elevated injection molding temperature to the ambient temperature at a rapid rate thereby remaining at the elevated injection molding temperature for a shorter period of time thereby promoting moreeven and uniform color of the overlay material upon being cooled.

Further, the game ball component of the present invention is provided with ribs over a predetermined portion of the core structure which ribs are fused to be injection molded overlay material thereby structurally uniting the overlay material and the core structure.

The relatively small mass of the injection molded material precludes or greatly reduces the possibility of voids being present therein sand the relatively small mass of the overlay material permits it to be injection molded at a reduced injection molding pressure thereby precluding or greatly reducing the possibility of unwantedly stressing and cracking of the core structure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a game ball component according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the game ball component of FIG. 1 but rotated with respect thereto;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of an alternate game ball component according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 5-5 in FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the game ball component of FIG. 4 but rotated 90 with respect thereto.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4 there are respectively shown game ball components according to the present invention including core structures 10 and 12. The core structures may be made of a suitable injection moldable plastic material, such as for example, a suitable modified polystyrene-filled plastic of proper weight, and of a predetermined color, such as for example, white.

are each provided with at least one cavity formed therein in the configuration of predetermined indicia, such as for example,'the segment 16 of P16. 3 having cavities 20 formed therein in the configuration of the number 10, and the segment 18 of FIG. 6 having the core structures along a predetermined portion of the outer surface of the core structures; The pluralities of ribs 22 and 24 are for being engagedby an overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material, of a predetermined color contrasting with the color of the core structure, and such ribs are for fusing with the overlay of injection moldable plastic material to structurally unite the core structures 10 and 12 with the overlay of injection moldable plastic material to form a game ball. in the specific examples of the embodiments of the present invention shown in the FIGS, the

better seenin FIGS. 3 and 6, the segments 16 and 18 7 shown inFlG. 2 of US. Pat. No. 3,439,917 to C. J. Gentile, the same inventor as the present invention, and from a suitable injection molding machine, the overlay of injection moldable plastic material, such as for example, the above-mentioned suitable modified proper contrasting color to the color of the core structures, may be injection molded around the pluralities of ribs 22 and 24 to provide the contrasting color to the color of the core structures to provide the game ball or endgame ball product.

The'overlay of injection moldable plastic material, due to the configuration imparted thereto by the above-mentioned injection mold, forms in cooperation with the surfaces of the pairs of segments 16-16 and 36-36 of the core structure 10, and the segments 18-18 of the'core structure 12, a spherical surface providing the outer surface of the end product game ball.

it will be understood by those skilled in the art, that the mass of the overlay ofinjection moldable plastic material with respect to the mass of the end product game ball is relatively small as compared to the mass of the core structures 10 and 12 with respect, to the mass of the end-product game ball whereby the core structures 10 and 12 will provide a heat sink for the overlay of injection moldable plastic material thereby promotcore structure 10 of FIGS. 1-3 is the core structure for striped billiard or pool balls, and the core structure 12 of FIGS. 4-6, is the core structure for the solid billiard segments 16-16 and disposed 90 with respect thereto. a

With more specific regard to the fusing of the ribs 22 and 24 with the overlay of injection moldable plastic material, the overlay material is injection molded at a predetermined elevated injection molding temperature sufficiently high to cause the overlay ofinjection moldable plastic material to heat and fuse to the pluralities of ribs 22 and 24.

The core structures 10 and '12 have, respectively, pairs of passageways 28-28 and 30-30 formed therein with each of the passageways, as may be best seen in FlGS. 2 and 5, communicating the portions of the outer surfaces of the core structures 10 and 12 having the respective pluralities of ribs 22and 24 formed thereon with the cavities 20 formed in the respective segments 16-16 and 18-18. The passageways 28-28 and 30-30 provide a flow path for the overlay of injection'moldable plastic material to flow from the outer surface of the respective core structures into the cavities 20 to fill the same and provide the respective colored indicia, such as for example, the respective shown numbers 10 and 8; in the embodiments shown, the cavities 20 of the striped billiard or pool ball being in the configuration of a number between 9 and 15 inclusive, and the cavities 20 of the solid billiard pool ball being in the configuration of a number between-1 through 8 inclusive. Y

In order to produce the game balls according to the present invention including the above-described game .ball components, the game ball components may be suitably seated in, for example, the injection mold ing rapid and even cooling of the overlay material and thereby promoting uniform and even color of the contrasting color of the overlay material upon the overlaying injection moldable plastic material being cooled from the injection molding temperature to the room or ambient temperature.

it will be further appreciated by those skilled in the art that the comparativelysmall mass of the injection molded overlay material will preclude or substantially eliminate the presence of voids in the overlay material were it to be ofa larger mass, and further, that the comparatively smaller mass of the injection molded overlay material, as compared to known prior art game balls havinginjection molded materials wherein the core structures, comparatively speaking, are of a smaller mass with respect tothe end game ball, that the overlay of injection moldable plastic material may be injection molded at a lower pressure than in the prior art thereby precluding ,or substantially eliminating undue stressing and even'cracking of the core structure of the game ball.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that while the present invention has been taught or disclosed in terms of billiard or pool game balls, or the like, that the present invention is not so limited and is equally suitable to other injection moldable plastic game balls or the like.

What is claimed is:

1. A game ball component for having an overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material of a first predetermined color injection molded over a predetermined portion thereof to form a game ball, comprising:

a core structure of a predetermined injection moldable plastic material of a second predetermined color, said core structure having a predetermined configuration and an outer surface;

a pair of diametrically opposed segments having the configuration of polar segments of a solid sphere formed integrally with said core structure, and

each of said segments having at least one cavity formed therein in the configuration of predetermined indicia; plurality of outwardly extending ribs formed integrally with said core structure along a predetermined portion of said outer surface of said core structure, said ribs for being engaged by said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material and for fusing with said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material to structurally unite said core structure with said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material to form said game ball; and said core structure having a pair of passageways formed therein with each of said passageways communicating said predetermined portion of said outer surface of said core structure having said ribs formed thereon with said at least one cavity formed in one of said segments and said passageways for providing a flow path for said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material to flow from said outer surface of said core structure into said cavities to fill the same. 2. A game ball component according to claim 1 wherein said game ball component is a component of a striped billiard ball and wherein said core structure further includes a second pair of diametrically opposed segments having the configuration of polar segments of a solid sphere formed integrally with said core structure, said second pair of segments being larger'than said first recited pair of segments and being disposed 90 with respect to said first recited pair of segments,

and wherein said predetermined indicia is a number between 9 and 15 inclusive.

3. A game ball component according to claim 1 wherein said game ball component is a component of a solid billiard ball and wherein said ribs extend over substantially all of the outer surface of said core structure except for that portion at which said segments are formed integrally with said core structure, and wherein said predetermined indicia is a number between 1 through 8 inclusive.

4. A striped billiard ball including the game ball component recited in claim 2 and further comprising:

an overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material injection molded at a predetermined injection molding temperature and overlying said portion of said core structure having said plurality of ribs formed thereon and said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material being fused to said plurality of ribs and filling said passageways and said cavities to form said numerals, said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material forming in cooperation with the outer surfaces of said pairs of segments a spherical surface, and wherein the mass of said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material with respect to the mass of the striped billiard ball is relatively small as compared to the mass of said core structure with respect to the mass of the striped billiard ball whereby said core structure provides a heat sink for said overlay 'of predetermined moldable plastic material thereby promoting rapid and even cooling of said overlay of predetermined moldable plastic material and thereby promoting uniform color of the said first predetermined color upon said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material being cooled from said predetermined injection molding temperature to the ambient temperature.

5. A solid billiard ball including the game ball component recited in claim 3 and further comprising:

an overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material injection molded at a predetermined injection molding temperature and overlying said portion of said core structure having said plurality of ribs formed thereon and said overlay'of predetermined injection moldable plastic material being fused to said plurality of ribs and filling said passageways and said cavities to form said numerals, said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material forming in cooperation with the outer surfaces of said pair of segments a spherical surface, and wherein the mass of said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material with respect to the mass of the solid billiard ball is relatively small as compared to the mass of-said core structure with respect to the mass of the solid billiard ball whereby said core structure provides a heat sink for said overlay of predetermined moldable plastic material thereby promoting rapid and even cooling of said overlay of predetermined moldable plastic material and thereby promoting uniform color of the said first predetermined color upon said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material being cooled from said predetermined injection molding temperature to the ambient temperature. 

1. A game ball component for having an overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material of a first predetermined color injection molded over a predetermined portion thereof to form a game ball, comprising: a core structure of a predetermined injection moldable plastic material of a second predetermined color, said core structure having a predetermined configuration and an outer surface; a pair of diametrically opposed segments having the configuration of polar segments of a solid sphere formed integrally with said core structure, and each of said segments having at least one cavity formed therein in the configuration of predetermined indicia; a plurality of outwardly extending ribs formed integrally with said core structure along a predetermined portion of said outer surface of said core structure, said ribs for being engaged by said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material and for fusing with said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material to structurally unite said core structure with said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material to form said game ball; and said core structure having a pair of passageways formed therein with each of said passageways communicating said predeTermined portion of said outer surface of said core structure having said ribs formed thereon with said at least one cavity formed in one of said segments and said passageways for providing a flow path for said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material to flow from said outer surface of said core structure into said cavities to fill the same.
 2. A game ball component according to claim 1 wherein said game ball component is a component of a striped billiard ball and wherein said core structure further includes a second pair of diametrically opposed segments having the configuration of polar segments of a solid sphere formed integrally with said core structure, said second pair of segments being larger than said first recited pair of segments and being disposed 90* with respect to said first recited pair of segments, and wherein said predetermined indicia is a number between 9 and 15 inclusive.
 3. A game ball component according to claim 1 wherein said game ball component is a component of a solid billiard ball and wherein said ribs extend over substantially all of the outer surface of said core structure except for that portion at which said segments are formed integrally with said core structure, and wherein said predetermined indicia is a number between 1 through 8 inclusive.
 4. A striped billiard ball including the game ball component recited in claim 2 and further comprising: an overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material injection molded at a predetermined injection molding temperature and overlying said portion of said core structure having said plurality of ribs formed thereon and said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material being fused to said plurality of ribs and filling said passageways and said cavities to form said numerals, said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material forming in cooperation with the outer surfaces of said pairs of segments a spherical surface, and wherein the mass of said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material with respect to the mass of the striped billiard ball is relatively small as compared to the mass of said core structure with respect to the mass of the striped billiard ball whereby said core structure provides a heat sink for said overlay of predetermined moldable plastic material thereby promoting rapid and even cooling of said overlay of predetermined moldable plastic material and thereby promoting uniform color of the said first predetermined color upon said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material being cooled from said predetermined injection molding temperature to the ambient temperature.
 5. A solid billiard ball including the game ball component recited in claim 3 and further comprising: an overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material injection molded at a predetermined injection molding temperature and overlying said portion of said core structure having said plurality of ribs formed thereon and said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material being fused to said plurality of ribs and filling said passageways and said cavities to form said numerals, said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material forming in cooperation with the outer surfaces of said pair of segments a spherical surface, and wherein the mass of said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material with respect to the mass of the solid billiard ball is relatively small as compared to the mass of said core structure with respect to the mass of the solid billiard ball whereby said core structure provides a heat sink for said overlay of predetermined moldable plastic material thereby promoting rapid and even cooling of said overlay of predetermined moldable plastic material and thereby promoting uniform color of the said first predetermined color upon said overlay of predetermined injection moldable plastic material being cooled from said predetermined inJection molding temperature to the ambient temperature. 